here i come
Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002 - 12:09 p.m.

BEING TWENTY - SOMETHING

> >

> >They call it the "Quarter-life Crisis." It is when you

> >stop going along with the crowd and start realizing

> >that there are many things about yourself that you

> >didn't know and may not like. You start feeling

> >insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or

> >two, but then get scared because you barely know where

> >you are now.

> >

> >You start realizing that people are selfish and that,

> >maybe, those friends that you thought you were so

> >close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have

> >ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are

> >some of the most important ones. What you don't

> >recognize is that they are realizing that too, and

> >aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that

> >they are as confused as you.

> >

> >You look at your job... and it is not even close to

> >what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking

> >for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at

> >the bottom and that scares you.

> >

> >Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what

> >others are doing and find yourself judging more than

> >usual because suddenly you realize that you have

> >certain boundaries in your life and are constantly

> >adding things to your list of what is acceptable and

> >what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the

> >next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest

> >force of your life. You feel alone and scared and

> >confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try

> >and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon

> >realize that the past is drifting further and further

> >away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you

> >are or move forward.

> >

> >You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you

> >loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed

> >and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough

> >that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone

> >but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing

> >this because you know that you aren't a bad person.

> >

> >One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap.

> >Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic.

> >

> >You go through the same emotions and questions over

> >and over, and talk with your friends about the same

> >topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You

> >worry about loans, money, the future and making a life

> >for yourself... and while winning the race would be

> >great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

> >

> >What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates

> >to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying

> >as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

> >

> >Send this to your twenty-something friends...maybe it

> >will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of

> >confusion........